


Beside you

by Teyke



Series: Cap-IM Bingo fills [4]
Category: Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pointless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2019-09-06 21:58:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16841206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teyke/pseuds/Teyke
Summary: They both have trouble sleeping.





	Beside you

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted Jan 24, 2016: "A bingo fill for the Trouble Sleeping square on my card, in… I guess we’re supposed to call it ‘universe 8′ now."

Tony always seemed to get run down as the end of the year approached—independent of other catastrophes—as the fiscal year slowed new contracts, making him work harder for them, and also increased the number of ends to be tied up. Steve was used to it, so when Tony stopped showing up at breakfast he just brought some coffee and fruit to the workshop, and tried not to worry too much about the bags developing under Tony’s eyes. It was temporary, and come December 24th Steve could kidnap him away from the office for a full week. Until then, Tony wouldn’t appreciate interference.

But it was hard not to feel the slightest twinge of disappointment when Tony started blowing off dates as early as late November. It was their first Christmas together again, and Steve’s first with the team since… well, since the universe had fallen apart. That first year after, Sam had still been Captain America, and Steve had spent most of that year alone, furious and betrayed but also now more than a bit disturbed by the fathomless depths of the anger he’d felt.

His youth had returned, but he’d needed more time to sort out his head, and Sam was doing an amazing job of it, so Steve had left the team—and Tony—to him, and taken leave.

It’d been Tony who’d dragged him back in the end, which probably shouldn’t have been a surprise.

“Steve?”

Tony’s voice at the doorway broke Steve from his reverie over the oatmeal, and Steve looked up, smiling. For Tony to be awake at this hour meant he hadn’t been to bed yet, unless he’d grabbed a nap on the cot in his workshop, but if he was here then maybe Steve could cajole him into getting a few hours sleep in a proper bed. “You’re up early,” he said fondly.

“So’re you,” Tony said around a yawn. “You’re not usually up until six.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” said Steve, trying to make it casual, but he knew he’d failed when Tony faltered in reaching for the coffee machine.

“Oh, hell,” said Tony after a moment, sounding more alert. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” said Steve, and then gave in at the raised eyebrows. “Just couldn’t sleep. You know how it goes.”

“Mm.” Tony claimed his coffee and took it over to the table beside Steve. He was yawning even as he drank it. “I’ll be glad when this month’s over. Sorry, Steve.”

“Not your fault,” said Steve, trying not to feel obscurely pleased. “Are you sure you should be drinking that? You’ll have problems sleeping, yourself.”

“Not likely.” Tony yawned again, but Steve noted that he curled protectively around his coffee. “I’ve still got work to do, I’ll crash later. You could join me—aren’t folks your age supposed to have afternoon naps?”

Another day Steve would have come back with a joke about not being white-haired anymore. Today he grinned into his cereal and said, “That we are, young whippersnapper.”

He slept better with Tony beside him. It wasn’t just the comfort of having someone else there—with Tony, it was a tangible reminder, even through sleep and nightmares, that the end of the universe had not been the end. They’d torn their friendship apart, but they’d put it back together and hammered out the flaws along the way. They’d made something better.

And part of that was compromise, so he’d take a nap with Tony this afternoon, and wait for Christmas to kidnap Tony away for a week. Or—Steve grinned to himself. Maybe a month. Compromise worked both ways, and anyway, if Tony kept this up then by Christmas he’d need a month.

“What are you grinning about?” Tony asked suspiciously, and Steve felt his grin relax into a smile.

“Oh, just you.”


End file.
